Appointment Announced for Initial Non-Executive Board Members at Bank Aston, U.K. Banking Sector Newcomer
New Guernsey-Based Bank, Bank Aston, Strengthens Its Board with Appointments of Claire Whittet and Roy McGregor
Bank Aston, a groundbreaking offshore bank launched in June 2025, has announced the appointment of Claire Whittet and Roy McGregor as its first Non-Executive Directors (NEDs). The new appointments aim to bring local expertise and extensive offshore banking experience to the bank, positioning it to disrupt the existing offshore banking sector.
Claire Whittet, with over 40 years of banking experience, brings a wealth of knowledge to Bank Aston. She has held senior roles at the Bank of Bermuda, Bank of Scotland, and Rothschild & Co Bank International in Guernsey, where she served as the Co-Head. Her focus at Bank Aston will be on audit and risk oversight, ensuring regulatory compliance and guiding the bank’s regulatory responsibilities and risk management.
Roy McGregor, a former CEO of Credit Suisse AG in the Channel Islands, brings a similar wealth of experience to the table. He has been President of the Guernsey Tax Tribunal and holds multiple non-executive director roles in financial services firms in the UK, the Islands, and Gibraltar. At Bank Aston, McGregor will contribute his deep offshore banking knowledge, supporting the bank’s focus on trustees, funds, and family offices as key clients.
Paul Gorman, CEO of Bank Aston, is proud and delighted to welcome Whittet and McGregor to the team. He values their unparalleled experience in offshore markets as they build a bank to shake up the offshore banking sector. Both Whittet and McGregor are Guernsey residents, giving them an intimate knowledge of the island’s financial community.
The Guernsey regulator, the Guernsey Financial Services Commission (GFSC), has been supportive of Bank Aston and expects high standards of governance from its financial community. With Whittet and McGregor on board, Bank Aston is well-positioned to meet these expectations and maintain regulatory compliance as the first bank on the island for thirty years.
Kevin Brown, the Chairman of Bank Aston, previously held a senior position at the Bank of England. His departure as a Senior Independent Director and Risk Committee member at the Bank of England has paved the way for Whittet and McGregor to join the team.
Bank Aston plans to onboard its first customers in the first half of 2026. With the addition of Whittet and McGregor, the bank is poised to make a significant impact on the offshore banking community, as expressed by Claire Whittet's belief that Bank Aston will disrupt the offshore banking community with its new offer.
[1] Bank Aston Announces First Non-Executive Directors [2] Claire Whittet and Roy McGregor Join Bank Aston [3] Bank Aston: The New Offshore Bank with Ambitions to Disrupt [4] Guernsey's First Locally-Licensed Bank in a Generation: Bank Aston
Bank Aston, with its new Non-Executive Directors Claire Whittet and Roy McGregor, is ready to leverage their extensive expertise in finance, business, and banking-and-insurance to disrupt the established offshore banking sector. Claire Whittet, a former Co-Head at Rothschild & Co Bank International in Guernsey, will oversee audit and risk management, ensuring regulatory compliance. Roy McGregor, a former CEO of Credit Suisse AG in the Channel Islands, will share his deep offshore banking knowledge, focusing on building relationships with trustees, funds, and family offices.
